How to install hotfixes that are included in cumulative security updates for Internet Explorer

INTRODUCTION

Update packages and security update packages for Internet Explorer 6 and later versions may be distributed together with hotfix files, in addition to general distribution release (GDR) files. By default, if the existing files are not from the hotfix environment, the security update package does not install the hotfix files. For more information about how to determine whether your existing files are from the hotfix environment, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

This article describes how you can install the hotfixes that are included in an update package or in a cumulative security update package for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and later versions. The information in this article is for users of Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

MORE INFORMATION

To install the hotfix files that are included in an update package or in a cumulative security update package for Internet Explorer, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Install a hotfix before you install the update package or the cumulative security update package

Install a hotfix that updates any of the files that are included in the update package or cumulative security update package. Then, install the update package or the cumulative security update package for Internet Explorer 6. After you install the hotfix, the update installer or the cumulative security update installer will detect the hotfix file and install the hotfix version of the files in the package.

Use the /B switch to change the branch that is used to install a package that uses Update.exe as the installer. For example, use commands that resemble the following:

Windows XP

PackageName.exe /b:SP3QFE

This command installs the SP3QFE version of the Windows XP files.

Windows Server 2003

PackageName.exe /b:RTMQFE

This command installs the RTMQFE version of the Windows Server 2003 files.

Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1

PackageName.exe /b:SP1QFE

This command installs the SP1QFE version of the Windows Server 2003 files.

Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2

PackageName.exe /b:SP2QFE

This command installs the SP2QFE version of the Windows Server 2003 files.

To determine whether a software update package uses Update.exe as the installer, follow these steps:

Right-click the package, and then click Properties.

On the Version tab, under Other Version Information, click Installer Engine. Update.exe should appear in the Value field. If it does not, the package does not use Update.exe as the Setup program. In that case, you must use either Method 1 or the following steps to install the hotfix files.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

To manually configure your computer so that an older installer installs the hotfix version of the files in a package that does not use Update.exe as the installer, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.

Locate and then right-click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

Point to New, click DWORD Value, type QFEInstalled to name the registry entry, and then press ENTER.

Right-click QFEInstalled, click Modify, type 1 in the Value data box to assign the registry entry a value of 1, and then click OK.

Note In this registry entry, a value of 1 forces the installation of the hotfix files that are included in the update package or in the cumulative security update package.

Install the update package or the cumulative security update package.

Notes

The cumulative security update installer will not install any hotfixes if the following conditions are true:

The hotfixes that are installed on your computer were released after MS04-004 but before MS04-038.

You did not install update rollup 873377 or update rollup 889669.

The installer does not detect hotfixes that were released after MS04-004 but before MS04-038. Update rollup 873377 and update rollup 889669 create a registry entry that causes the installer to install hotfixes.

To install the hotfixes if these conditions are true, install the latest cumulative update for Internet Explorer by using the manual method that was described earlier.

When you install a hotfix separately from a cumulative update, the files may not be installed if the files that you are trying to install are earlier versions of files that are already on your computer. The installer will not return any errors. Unless the hotfixes were included when you installed the latest Internet Explorer cumulative update, the newer files on your computer may still not include the hotfixes that you tried to install. To install the hotfixes, install the latest cumulative update for Internet Explorer by using the manual method that was described earlier.